Audition success for the boys

We recently caught up with Harry Boucher who has been with the Academy of Northern Ballet for six years and is about to complete his time on The Centre for Advanced (CAT) training programme. We asked him how he felt about his time here:

'The CAT programme has been an amazing experience for me, to have such intensive training without moving away to ballet school. It has been hard work but the Ichino technique has really benefited my training by focussing on strengthening my technique from the basics in a professional environment.

I have made some good friends with the other students and I have grown in confidence. There can be a stigma about boys and ballet, but it gives you great strength and fitness and helps you to switch off from the pressures of school. My advice to boys thinking about doing ballet is to go for it and stick with it. Ballet is hard work, but I have taken so much away from the CAT programme, I would definitely recommend it.'

As Cara O’Shea, Deputy Director of the Academy said in her recent interview with The Stage: 'The merits of being able to train professionally while staying in the grounded, supportive environment of the family home and school have had a positive outcome on students training with us'.

In Harry’s case this has meant that he has been able to continue his studies at his local academic school Trinity Academy as well as attending his local dance school MB Academy.

Harry has been with the CAT since he was 10 years old and we’re thrilled to announce that he has successfully been awarded a place to attend the prestigious English National Ballet School in September. He follows in the footsteps of previous male alumni who have gone on to train here after they finish their training with us, and we are extremely proud that this is our 6th consecutive year of success into this school.

Previous CAT male alumni who have successfully been offered a place at ENBS are:

We have several CAT students who are completing the programme in July and are moving on to vocational training schools this year. We would like to wish them all the best in their future endeavours and congratulate them on their hard work and dedication.

Alumni have gone on to train at schools such as: Royal Ballet School, National Ballet school of Canada, School of Hamburg Ballet, Elmhurst, Central School of Ballet, Rambert, Laine Theatre Arts, Northern Ballet school and Tring Park to name a few.